Get the scoop on gelatto

By GREG MORAGO, HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Updated 10:00 pm, Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The Chinese ate soft rice and milk packed in snow as far back as 2000 BC. In Rome, emperor Nero reportedly ate so much ice mixed with honey that he suffered from "indigestion of snow." According to legend, Isaac offered Abraham goat's milk mixed with snow and told him, "Eat and drink; the sun is torrid and you can cool down."

Today the summer sun is still torrid and, thankfully, we can still cool down with the same stuff the ancients enjoyed. Ice cream is great, but an even more delectable and flavorful option would be Italian gelato. And if you want to cut right to the icy heart of the joys of sub-zero fruit, look no further than sorbetto (or sorbet) which is nothing more than frozen summer goodness.

The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto by F.W. Pearce and Danilo Zecchin (Clarkson Potter, $24.99) has arrived on the bookshelves at the same time we desperately crave frozen treats (and when summer fruits are peaking). But the Ciao Bella book, offering more than 100 ice-cold recipes, isn't the only cookbook touting the simple pleasures of homemade gelato and sorbetto. Mario Batali's Molto Gusto (Ecco, $29.99) and David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop (Ten Speed Press, $18.99) also make a case for delicious home-churned icy indulgence.

The best part about this frozen avalanche? Gelato and sorbetto are not only easy to make, their flavors are at their most vivid when using fruits at their peak.

"There's a misconception that you can't make (gelato) at home. But people are catching on to the idea that with the right machinery and the right recipe, you can make great gelato at home," said Maile Carpenter, editor in chief of Food Network Magazine. "The best ones are the simplest ones made with quality ingredients."

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In its June issue, Food Network Magazine detailed the growing demand for homey ice cream treats by offering recipes on how to make simple Italian ices and frozen fruit pops.

"It seems to be everywhere now," Carpenter said of the pops trend. "It's the same old treats we loved as kids but with higher quality and better ingredients. As kids we all loved running after the ice cream man. That desire to eat fun frozen treats on a stick never goes away."

Nor does the quest for quality iced confections, which is where gelato and sorbetto come in. Foodies will appreciate the recipes in the new books discussing gelato and sorbetto because the end product, while simple, really is only as good as the ingredients you put into it. Locavores will appreciate that mantra because gelato and sorbetto both reflect the season's best regional ingredients -- not just fruit, but farm-fresh cream, milk and eggs. Before we get into the deep freeze, a few words about gelato and sorbetto:

Gelato

Gelato is a frozen dessert similar to ice cream but made with less fat (or cream) and less air, according to the Ciao Bella book. Because extra fat in ice cream can mask flavors, gelato is more flavorful and more dense than ice cream.

Gelato making at home is a two-step process: 1) making a base, or custard, and 2) flavoring and freezing. Once you master the custard, you can create any number of gelati.

Batali said there is no reason to buy an expensive gelato maker because the inexpensive cylinder-batch ice cream freezer works well. "You can buy an expensive table-top model if you want, but the machine is not nearly as important as the components of (the) recipes," he writes.

In addition to following the two-step process, you will improve your gelato making by adhering to these steps:

Chill the gelato base quickly in an ice bath and refrigerate it for at least six hours before churning; even better, chill it overnight.

The canister of your ice cream maker must be kept in the freezer for at least 24 hours before using. If the canister isn't cold enough it will take longer for the gelato to freeze and too much air will be incorporated, resulting in a fluffy product. The frozen canisters stay cold enough for only one batch at a time.

Let the gelato firm up in the freezer at least two hours before serving. Gelato is best served the day it is churned.

Sorbetto

Sorbetto (or sorbet) is a true expression of fruit because it's mostly fruit and sugar. "Sorbetto usually has no cream and therefore little or no fat, so there's nothing standing between you and the flavor," according to the Ciao Bella book. "And the taste is incredibly true to the ingredients."

Use only the best fruit when making sorbetto.

"Fruit-based sorbets will be only as good as the fruit you make with them, so choose the most dead-ripe season fruits you can find," Batali said.

Sorbets are sweetened with sugar or a simple syrup, depending on the water content of the fruit. Using too much sugar will make the sorbet difficult to freeze; too much water will result in an icy sorbetto with weak flavor. Lemon juice will brighten and sharpen flavors and alcohol also can be used as a flavoring agent (but not too much or it won't freeze).

PISTACHIO GELATO

Recipe from The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto by F.W. Pearce and Danilo Zecchin

1 plain base (recipe follows)

½ cup shelled roasted pistachios, cooled and ground into a paste in a coffee grinde

¹?8 teaspoon pure almond extract

½ cup shelled roasted pistachios

Make the plain base and chill as directed.

In a blender, combine the pistachio paste and almond extract with half of the base.

Blend until smooth, then whisk in the remaining base. Pour the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Add the whole pistachios 5 minutes before the churning is completed. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

PLAIN BASE

(Makes enough for about 1 quart of gelato)

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

2?3 cup sugar

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the milk and cream.

Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally so a skin doesn't form, until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges and the mixture reaches a temperature of 170 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually whisk in the sugar until it is well incorporated and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Temper the egg yolks very slowly, pouring in the hot milk mixture while whisking continuously.

Return the custard to the saucepan and place over low heat.

Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and it reaches a temperature of 185 degrees. Do not bring to a boil.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and let it cool to room temperature, stirring every 5 minutes or so.

To cool the custard quickly, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water and placing the bowl with the custard in it; stir the custard until cooled.

Once completely cooled, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

ROSE PETAL GELATO

Recipe from The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto

1 plain base

1 tablespoon rosewater

1 teaspoon beet juice (see note)

¼ cup candied rose petals (optional)

Make plain base and chill as directed. Gently whisk the rosewater and the beet juice into the base. Pour the mixture into the container of an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Add the candied rose petals, if using, 5 minutes before the churning is completed. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: To make a small amount of beet juice, peel a beet, finely grate a small amount, then simply squeeze the beet pulp with your fingers to extract the juice. To keep your fingers from turning red, wear plastic gloves, or place a plastic bag over your hand while squeezing.

CHERRY-PEACH TWIN POPS

Courtesy Food Network Magazine

1½ cups sour-cherry juice or nectar

3 tablespoons superfine sugar

1½ cups peach nectar

Combine the cherry juice and sugar in a large bowl and stir vigorously to dissolve. Pour half of the cherry juice into 3 to 4 pop molds, filling them to varying heights. Pour half of the peach nectar into 3 or more of the pop molds. Freeze 2 hours.

Fill the cherry pops with the peach nectar, and fill the peach pops with the cherry juice.

Insert wooden sticks three-quarters of the way into the pops and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours or overnight. To release the pops, run the molds under warm water.

STRAWBERRY GELATO

Courtesy of Molto Gusto

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder

1?2 cup sugar

1 1?2 cups milk

1?2 cup heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 pound strawberries, hulled and chopped

1?4 teaspoon salt

Whisk the dry milk and 2 tablespoons of the sugar together in a small bowl. Combine the milk and cream in a large heavy- bottomed saucepan and stir in the dry milk mixture. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar together in a medium heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture, then return to the saucepan and stir in the condensed milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or a wooden spoon, until the custard registers 185°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Immediately strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl and chill over an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cold. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or, preferably, overnight.

Meanwhile, combine the strawberries, the remaining 1?4 cup sugar, and the salt in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Drain the strawberries. Add to the chilled custard, mixing with an immersion blender and breaking up the strawberries. Or transfer the strawberries and custard to a regular blender, in batches, and blend well.

Pour the strawberry mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the gelato into a freezer container and freeze for at least 3 hours before serving.

Makes about 5 cups.

WATERMELON SORBETTO

Courtesy of The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

3 cups watermelon juice (see Note)

1/2 cup sugar

Big pinch of salt

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 to 2 tablespoons vodka (optional)

1 to 2 tablespoons mini semisweet chocolate chips

In a small, nonreactive saucepan, heat about 1/2 cup of the watermelon juice with the sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir the sugared syrup into the remaining 2 1/2 cups watermelon juice in a medium bowl. Mix in the lime juice and vodka, if using.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the last minute of churning, add the mini chocolate chips. Makes about 1 quart.

Note: I find that I get about 3 cups of watermelon juice from a 3-pound chunk of watermelon. Cut away the rind, remove any seeds, and then cut the juicy, pink flesh into cubes and purée them in a blender or food processor. Any extra juice can be frozen for another use, such as watermelon margaritas.

This sorbetto makes excellent Watermelon Popsicles. Simply pour the mixture into plastic popsicle molds and freeze until very firm.

NECTARINE SORBET

Courtesy of The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

6 ripe nectarines (about 2 pounds)

2/3 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon kirsch, or 1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Slice the nectarines in half and remove the pits. Cut the unpeeled nectarines into small chunks and cook them with the water in a medium, nonreactive saucepan, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they're soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add a bit more water if necessary during cooking.

Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Let cool to room temperature. When cool, purée the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir in the kirsch or lemon juice.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Makes about 1 quart

Note: For Peach Sorbet, substitute 7 large, ripe peaches for the nectarines. Remove the skins prior to cutting them into chunks.